Compressor



April 24, 1962 E. J. HILDEBRANDT COMPRESSOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed March 6, 1957 INVENTORZ EDWARD J HILDEBRANDT ATTORNEY E. J. HILDEBRANDT v April 24, 1962 COMPRESSOR 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 6, 1957 IN VEN TOR 1 EDWARD J. HILDEBRANDT ATTORNEY United States Patent Office 3,031,131 Patented Apr. 24, 1962 My invention relates to compressors and more par ticularly to a compound compressor for a gaseous fluid having a new and improved intercooler connected be tween compressor stages.

In compound compressors for compressing a gaseous fluid, such as air compressors, it is common practice to pro ide an intercooler between sequential stages of the compressor in order to reduce the temperature of the gaseous fluid before it is admitted into the next pressure cylinder for further compression. In general such intercoolers have been located to extend outwardly beyond the compression cylinders so that the assembled compressor is diflicult to handle and requires a fairly large space for its installation. lso in such compressors it is desirable to remove as much moisture and other matter which may be suspended in the gaseous fluid during the period the gaseous fluid is traversing the intercooler in order to minimize damage to the compressor during the next compression stage and in order to obtain a sub stantially moisture free compressed fluid.

Accordingly, one object of my invention is to provide a compound compressor having intercoolers connected between sequential stages of the compressor so as to result in a compact structure.

Another object of my invention is to provide a compound compressor having an extending low pressure cylinder elevated above an extending high pressure cylinder with an intercooler extending angularl'y therebetween.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved two stage compressor having a pair of vertically displaced low pressure cylinders located above a pair of horizontally opposed high pressure cylinders with intercoolers extending angularly between adjacent high and low pressure cylinders.

Still another object of my invention is to provide a new and improved intercooler for a fluid compressor having a curved exit path to obtain separation of suspended matter in a gaseous fluid passing through the exit path.

A more specific object of my invention is to provide a new and improved air intercooler for a compressor having lateral ribs located along the outer side of an elongated curved exit path through which a gaseous fluid passes to obtain separation of suspended matter in the gaseous fluid.

Still another specific object of my invention is to provide a new and improved intercooler for a compressor which extends angularly upward and has water separating means at its lower end extending angularly upward whereby the water is collected in the lowermost part of the intercooler by means of the gravitational force upon the water.

These and other objects of my invention will become more apparent when taken in consideration with the following detailed description of a preferred embodiment thereof and the following drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevational view of a compressor constructed in accordance with the principles of my invention, having a portion thereof broken away to show the intercooler connections thereto.

FIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of a compressor as shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the intercooler shown in FIGURE 2, taken substantially along the lines IIIllI thereof.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged cross sectional view of the lower portion of the intercooler as shown in FIGURE 2, taken substantially along the lines IVIV thereof.

FIGURE 5 is a cross sectional view of the intercooler as shown in FIGURE 1 taken substantially along the lines VV thereof; and

FIGURE 6 is a cross sectional view of a portion of the compressor as shown in FIGURE 2 taken substantially long the lines VI-VI thereof.

As will become apparent herein the principles of my invention are ideally suited for various types of compound compressors for compressing a gaseous fluid such as air. Accordingly, for the purpose of illustrating my invention, a two stage air compressor has been shown in FIGURES l, 2 and 6 which comprises a hollow housing 1, formed from any suitable material having sufficient mechanical strength such as cast iron. The housing 1 has mounted thereon, in any suitable manner, at opposite sides of the vertical plane at approximately 60 from a horizontal plane two outwardly extending low pressure cylinders 2 and 3. Two high pressure cylinders 4 and 5 are also mounted in any suitable manner on the housing 1 to extend outwardly therefrom on a horizontal plane 'in opposed relationship to each other below the low pressure cylinders 2 and 3, respectively. Air is supplied to each of the low pressure cylinders 2 and 3 through spaced inlet lines 6, compressed and discharged through suitable outlets 12 to suitable inlets 13 of elongated intercoolers 14. The initially compressed air flows through the intercoolers 14, as more fully described hereinafter, through suitable intercooler outlets 15 and high pressure cylinder inlets 18 to the high pressure cylinders 4 and 5.

The air is again compressed in the high pressure cylinders 4 and 5 and discharged through suitable exit lines 180 to a receiver, not shown. It is to be realized that the air flow to and from the low and high pressure cylinders is controlled in any suitable manner such as by means of suitably spaced valves 17 located in the head of the low and high pressure cylinders as is well known in the art.

As is also well known in the art, suitable pistons 45 are reciprocably mounted in the low pressure cylinders 2 and 3 and suitable pistons 46 are reciprocably mountedin the high pressure cylinders 4 and 5 to compress the air in the respective cylinders. The pistons 45 and 46 are connected by suitable piston rods 47 to suitable cross heads 48 reciprocably guided in cross head guides 49 suitably supported in seats formed in the housing 1. Suitable connecting rods 50 are connected to cross heads 48 which in turn are connected to a crank pin 51 carried by a crank shaft 11 suitably journaled at opposite ends in bearings, not shown, carried by the housing 1. The compressor may be driven in any suitable manner, such as by keying the shaft (not shown) of an electric motor thereto which is located in alignment with the crank shaft 11 to one side of the high and low pressure cylinders. Inasmuch as the specific construction of the operating mechanism of the compressor does not constitute a part of my invention further description thereof is not believed to be necessary. For a more complete description of an operating mechanism similar to that heretofore described, reference is made herein to Patent No. 2,312,335, entitled, Compressor, patented March 2, 1943, by F. A. Halleck.

In FIGURE 3, the improved intercooler is shown horizontally disposed to facilitate illustration although when in use it is inclined at a substantial angle with respect to the horizontal, as shown in FIGURE 4, to attain novel advantages. As shown, each intercooler 14 comprises a plurality of spaced elongated tubes 20 which extend angularly between the low and high pressure cylinders with their respective ends being suitably secured to a circular upper tube sheet 21 and a circular lower tube sheet 22. The tubes 20 are enclosed for the greater part of their length within an extending cylindrical shell 23, the lower end of which terminates short of the lower tube sheet 22. In order to accomplish the purposes of my invention the lower portion of the tubes 20 are enclosed by a unique form of annular hollow jacket 25, the inner wall 24 of which is in longitudinal alignment with the cylindrical shell 23 and the lower side of which is substantially in lateral alignment with the outer surface of the lower tube sheet 22. The jacket 25 is supported with respect to the lower end of the shell 23 in any suitable manner such as by being bolted by a plurality of arcuately spaced bolts 26 to an annular flange 27 which is secured to the lower end of the shell 23 in any suitable manner such as by being welded thereto so as to extend radially outwardly therefrom.

The lower tube sheet 22 has its outer surface enclosed by means of a suitable dish shaped head 29 which is secured adjacent its outer edge to the tube sheet 22 adjacent the outer edge of the tube sheet 22 in any suitable manner such as by a plurality of arcuately spaced bolts 30. The central portion of the head 29 is provided with an integral outwardly extending water inlet 31 which is secured, in any suitable manner as by welding, to the central portion of an outwardly spaced lower head 32 for the intercooler 14. The lower head 32 is also dish shaped and is secured adjacent its outer edge to the lower side of the jacket 25 adjacent its outer edge in any suitable manner such as by a plurality of arcuately spaced bolts 33. In order to provide sufficient material for properly engaging the threaded shanks of the bolts 26 and 33 the jacket 25 is provided with a plurality of integral longitudinally inwardly extending bosses 34 and 35, respectively, in a manner as well known in the art.

It will be noted that the upper tube sheet 21 extends radially outwardly beyond the tubes 20 adjacent the upper end of shell 23 with the lower surface thereof engaging the side of a radially outwardly extending annular flange 41 which may be secured to the shell 23 in the same manner as the flange 27 previously described. An upper dish shaped head 42 is secured adjacent its outer edges to the flange 41 in any suitable manner such as by a plurality of arcuately spaced bolts 43 which also extend through the outer portion of the upper tube sheet 21 and threadedly engage the flange 41 adjacent its outer edge. The upper head 42 encloses the upper tube sheet 21 and is provided with a suitable water outlet 44 in any suitable manner as is well known in the art. Thus it will be noted that the cooling water of the intercooler 14 will enter the intercooler through the inlet 31, pass through the inner portion of the head 29, flow through the tubes 20 to the upper head 42 and outwardly through the water outlet 44. Such a water path through the intercooler 14 is one of various well known manners for circulating such water and does not constitute a part of my invention. It will be obvious that the various identified components forming the water path must be watertight with relation to each other to prevent water leakage therebetween; accordingly such parts are formed in a manner as is well known in the art to be watertight.

In order to provide a closed path for permitting air to flow through each of the intercoolers 14, a circular outer shell 101 is secured to the upper end of each intercooler 14. One edge of the shell 101 is secured to the outer portion of the flange 41 and its other edge is secured to the shell 23 at a point spaced longitudinally from the flange 41. The shell 101 may be secured as indicated in any suitable manner such as by welding. Although not shown the shell 101 is provided with a suitable opening which is surrounded by the neck portion 16 (FIG. 2) of the inlet 13. Referring to FIGURE 5 it will be noted that the outer wall of the jacket 25 is similarly provided with an opening 51 which is surrounded by the neck portion 52 of the outlet 15. The opening 51 may be formed in various manners; however, with a cast jacket 25 as shown the circular neck portion 52 is preferably cast integrally with the outer wall of the jacket 25. Also as shown the neck portion 52 of the outlet 15 is provided with an integrally outwardly extending flange portion 53 for permitting the outlet 15 to be secured to a similar flange portion 54 on the high pressure cylinder inlet 18 in any suitable manner such as by being bolted thereof by arcuately spaced bolts 55.

It is to be realized that the use of the integral neck portion 52 and flange portion 53 is only one desirable method of providing an outlet 15 from the jacket 25 and that any suitable construction for obtaining air flow passages therethrough as is well known in the art may be employed. Similarly the outlet 12 and the inlet 13 are shown as being bolted together and substantially of the same structure as the outlet 15 and inlet 18 previously described; however as before such structure may be modified in a manner as is well known in the art. Throughout this specification various components have been described as being bolted together and it is to be clearly realized that such bolting is accomplished in a manner as is well known in the art which necessarily entails that the threaded shanks of the bolts pass through proper clearance openings. It is further to be realized that the structure of the various components as heretofore described may be formed from various suitable materials; however, as it is customary in the art for such structures the components may be formed from various ferrous and non-ferrous materials by various well known manners.

As shown in FIG. 5 a barrier 58 is formed integral with the jacket 25 which extends generally laterally between the outer wall of the jacket 25 and the inner wall 24 to form an arcuate path therebetween. The barrier 58 directs the flowing air through the outlet 15 of the intercooler 14 and; accordingly, the barrier 58 has one end aligned with the neck portion 52 of the outlet 15 and thereafter extends arcuately inwardly across the opening 51 to form a smooth transition wall. In order to obtain as long an air flow path as possible within the jacket 25 an opening 102 is provided in the inner wall 24 of the jacket 25 which has one of its sides formed by the junction of the barrier 58 and the inner wall 24 and its other side spaced circumferentially therefrom away from the outlet 15. The opening 102 extends substantially longitudinally of the jacket 25 between the two sides thereof. If desired each intercooler 14 may be provided with suitable supported inwardly extending baflles 103 to cause the air to follow a circuitous path therethrough. It will be noted that the opening 102 and the opening between the walls of the jacket 25 are of a substantially smaller cross section than the cross section of the air flow path in the intercooler 14 so that the velocity of the air passing therethrough is higher than the velocity of the air flowing through the intercooler 14. With the structure as heretofore described it will be noted the air leaving a low pressure cylinder will flow through an outlet 12, through the inlet 13 of the intercooler 14, into the shell 101, then through the path defined by the baflles 103 within the shell 23, through the opening 102 into the circular exit path formed by the jacket 25 to an outlet 15, and through the inlet 18 of a high pressure cylinder.

As can readily be appreciated air normally has a certain amount'of moisture which is retained therein during the initial compression of the air and during the period the initially compressed air flows through the intercooler. By providing the jacket 25 with a restricted elongated circular exit path a large amount of the moisture in the air flowing therethrough can be removed. One particular.

desirable manner of removing moisture and other suspended matter from the air has been to provide the inner surfaces of the outer wall of the jacket 25 with a plurality of arcuately spaced inwardly extending projections 62 which extend longitudinally thereof between the ends thereof so as to be generally parallel to each other. With such a structure the air passing through the jacket 25 will impinge upon the upstream edges of the projections 62 so that moisture Will be separated from the air and flow downwardly along the upstream sides of the projections 62 toward the bottom side of the jacket 25. Inasmuch as such impingement of the air upon the projections 62 will cause a certain turbulence of air flow not all moisture or other suspended matter in the air will be removed by means of a single projection 62. Accordingly, a plurality of such projections 62 have been provided which may, if desired, extend along the entire exit path of the air flow through the jacket 25. It has been found desirable, however, to omit projections 62 for an intermediate portion of the exit path so as to substantially reduce the turbulence of the air flowing therethrough and thereafter to provide another plurality of projections 62 for obtaining further removal of the moisture or other suspended matter entrained in the air flowing through the jacket 25. It will further be noted that the bosses 34 and 35 as heretofore described are located in a manner so as to additionally obtain separation of moisture or other suspended matter in the air flowing through the jacket 25 in substantially the same manner as the projections 62.

It has further been found advantageous when employing the jacket 25 structure as heretofore described to connect the intercoolers 14 to their respective high and low pressure cylinders so that they extend angularly downwardly therebetween in order to obtain good drainage of the water and other foreign matter which accumulates in the jacket 25. Thus, although the outlet 12 on a low pressure cylinder and the inlet 18 of the high pressure cylinder cooperable therewith may be located at various positions around the outer periphery thereof they are preferably constructed so that the outlet 12 and the inlet 18 extend outwardly in the same direction from the low and high pressure cylinders, respectively, with the mounting flanges thereon being located in substantially the same vertical plane. Similarly the inlet 13 and the outlet 15 on an intercooler 14 extend outwardly from the intercooler in the same direction with the mounting flanges therefor being located in the same plane. By such construction the intercoolers 14 may be located closely adjacent the high and low pressure cylinders so as to form a compact compressor construction. In addition as the motor 100 is located to one side of the housing 1 it is desirable that the intercoolers 14 be located on the same side of the housing 1 so as not to increase the total space requirements in depth for the compressor.

In FIGURE 4 the angle X illustrates the angle that an intercooler 14 makes with the horizontal plane of the air compressor when secured to the high and low pressure cylinders as described. It will be noted that the lower side of the jacket 25 extends angularly upwardly from the horizontal plane at an angle Y so that all water accumulating therein will flow by means of gravitational force to and collect in a lower area thereof. In order to obtain removal of the water from the jacket 25 an opening 77, as more clearly shown in FIGURE 5, is provided in the lowermost portion of the lower side of jacket 25 to connect the jacket 25 to the space between the lower head 32 and the inwardly located end head 29. If desired, opening 77 may extend to the outer wall of the jacket 25 to prevent any accumulation of water in a pocket formed by the lower side and outer side wall of the jacket 25. Inasmuch as the lower head 32 is also annularly inclined upwardly with reference to the horizontal plane, water accumulating therein will by gravitational force drain to the lowermost portion thereof. In order to permit removal of such water the lowermost portion of the lower head 32 is provided with a suitable valve means such as a float operated or a hand operated drain valve 78 as is well known in the art. Thus by opening valve 78 the water may be drained from the lower head 32 at any desired time.

Thus, it will be noted that I have provided a unique intercooler structure in which the exit path for the air is formed to obtain the maximum separation of moisture or other suspended matter in the air from the air. In addition by inclining the intercooler a particularly compact arrangement of air compressor is obtained which is also ideally suited for collecting the separated water. Further although an intercooler has been shown and described, it is to be realized that my structure is suited for various devices for obtaining separation of Water or other suspended matter from a gaseous fluid such as an aftercooler.

Having described a preferred embodiment of my invention in accordance with the patent statutes, it is to be realized that modifications thereof may be made without departing from the broad spirit of my invention. Accordingly, it is respectfully requested that my invention be interpreted as broadly as possible and as limited only by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. A fluid compressor comprising, a housing having a pair of approximately horizontally opposed high pressure cylinders extending therefrom, spaced low pressure cylinders extending outwardly from said housing adjacent said high pressure cylinders, respectively, said low pressure cylinders having at least portions thereof located above portions of said high pressure cylinders, respectively, elongated intercoolers secured to said portions of said low pressure cylinders and said high pressure cylinders respectively, so as to extend therebetween, for communication directly with said respective high and low pressure cylinders, and said intercoolers being disposed at acute angles thereby presenting axes that make acute angles with relation to a line joining axes of said high pressure cylinders where each of said acute angles are disposed facing said low pressure cylinders.

2. A fluid compressor comprising, a housing having a high pressure cylinder extending horizontally therefrom, a low pressure cylinder extending outwardly from said housing adjacent said high pressure cylinder, said low pressure cylinder having at least a portion thereof located above a portion of said high pressure cylinder, an elongated intercooler secured to said portions of said low pressure cylinder and said high pressure cylinder to extend therebetween for communicating directly with said respective high and low pressure cylinders, and the axis of said intercooler extending in acute angular relationship to the horizontal axis of said high pressure cylinder with said acute angle facing said low pressure cylinder.

3. A multi-stage compressor comprising a base having a main crank shaft rotatably mounted thereon, a pair of first stage cylinders mounted on said base, the axes of said cylinders diverging upwardly and outwardly from said base, a pair of second stage cylinders mounted on said base having coincident axes, said second stage cylinder axes and said axis of said main crank shaft defining a first plane, said first stage cylinders and said second stage cylinders having intake and discharge openings respectively, a line bisecting the angle made by said axes of said first stage cylinders lying normal to said first plane, a pair of spaced intercoolers having intake and discharge openings at opposite ends respectively, said intercooler intake openings communicating directly with said discharge openi 7 ings of said first stage compressorsrespectively the axes of said intercoolers diverging downwardly and outwardly, said intercooler discharge openings communicating directly With said intake openings of said second stage compressors respectively. 5

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Paget Apr. 28, 1942 Halleck Mar. 2, 1943 Carpenter Nov. 13, 1951 Gamble Nov. 27, 1951 Tinker July 10, 1956 Stewart Oct. 9, 1956 FOREIGN PATENTS Great Britain Mar. 10, 1932 France July 20, 1925 

